Mechanism for cutting wrappers from strips.



H. Y. ARMSTRONG.

MECHANISM FOR CUTTING WRAPPERS FROM STRIPS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1'909.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910 2 SHEETS-SHEET'I.

H. Y. ARMSTRONG. MECHANISM FOR CUTTING WRAPPERS PROM STRIPS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1909.

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Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HARRY'YARRING'EON ARMSTRONG, F EL GIN, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR CUTTING WBAPPERS FROM STRIPS.

Application filed November 10. 1909. Serial No. 527,193.

T 0 all whom it may concern Bo it known that l, llinnv Yannixc'ron itnns'rnoxo. a citizen of the United States, and a resident o'l l llgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in 'Mochanisnr tor Cutting .Yrappers from Strips; and i do hcrcby dcclaro that the following is a full, clear. and exact descrip tion thereof, reference hiring had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference nrarlrcd thereon, which form a part oi this spccitication.

This invention relates to improvements in paper feeding and cutting mechanism for trolling or :nlvancing a strip of paper or like material and cutting individual wrappcrs or other short soctions from the strip] 'lhc invention relates more specifically to nicans tor positioning or locating the strip with respect to the cutting means in such a manner that thc pr dctcrniincd lines along the strip, at which the strip is to ho severed, sh: ll be broughtaccuratcly into proper cutting alinemcnt with the cutting n'ieans.

My invention may be employed wherever it is desired to sever short sections, one at a time, from a continuous strip upon predetcrmincd lincs spaced along the strip so that each section will be approximately of the samelength as the other sections.

A "practical use to which my invention may beput, and for which I have developed it, is cutting wrappers for a gum or like wrapping machine trom the advance end. of a, continuous strip that is fed intermittently to the cutting means and delivering said wrappers to the wrapping mechanism. Such strips are usually previously printed at intervals along their length and the printing intended tobo arranged at. uniform distances apart and the strip is cotbetween I the printed areas, so that; when the wrappars are cut from the strip, the printing 7 which appears one on. each wrapper will be located in a givenv position on the Wrapper and symmetrically with resocct to the outlinesof the wrapper. It has been found impracticable to so feed a strip to the cutting means that the supposed. uniformly spaced printed areas thereon will always appear in proper relation to the cutting means to enable the strip to be always cut on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Boo. 2?, 18*10.

proper line between the printed areas. For instance, the feeding means are liable to slip on the strip so that the strip thereby drags behind. YVhcn attempt be, made, therefore,

to feed the strip to the cutting means in timed relation to the operating movements of the latter, the irregularities of the feed of the strip will be evidenced by the lines of severance being brought close to or .into the printed areas so that the wrappers or other sections cutfrom the strip are likely to appear with the printed matter unsym metrically located thereon, or with only a portion of the printed matter on the w appcrs. In order to overcome these defects I propose to employ a locating or positioning device which is arranged to operate on the strip in such a way as to insure. that the strip will he presented to the cutting means with the propcr points in cuttingalincment therewith, regardless of the failure of the feeding mechanism to accurately and positively feed the strip to the cutting means. In order to ett'ect this result, I provide the strip at suitable points along its length with a series of uniformly spaced slits or open ings, and provide a locating or jogging device arranged to cooperate with the slittcd portions of the strip, said locating device being provided with a finger or projecting part adapted to engage into the slits or openings of the strip in such a way as to adance the strip toward the cutting means in dependently of the feeding means, when said strip is out of registcrwith the cutting means, the locating device being so arranged on the machine that when it engages the slitted strip to thus'ad 'ancc the same itr'will bring the strip with its next line of severance into cutting alinementwith the cutting means.

As shown in the drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section taken through a strip feeding and cutting means, showing a locating or jogging device made in accord ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View on line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is i the strip from which the Wrappers or aforesaid application.

chine) lengths are cut. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail, illustrating a modification of the locating or jogging device.

The feeding and cutting mechanisms by which the strip is advanced and by which the advance end thereof is cut is herein shown as made like the feeding and cutting mechanism illustrated in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, filed on the 10th day of November 1909,

Serial Number 527,191 said mechanisms bc-- ing shown as adapted to cut wrappers from a strip and deliver them to the wrapping mechanism of a wrapping machine. Only the essential elements of the feeding and cutting mechanisms are herein illustratedin order to more clearly show the construction to which the present invention more closely relates.

The feeding mechanism embraces, in general terms, strip feeding rollers 10, ll between which the strip a is fed, the roller 11 being eccentric with respect to its shaft 12, while the roller 10 is concentric with respect to its shaft 13. The shaft 13 of the concentric roller is mounted in suitable bearings in upright frame members 14, 14 which are suitably secured at their lower ends to the frame 15 of the machme, as shown in said co-pending application. Located belowsaid stri feeding rollers are cutting knives 17, 18, t e former being a fixed or stationary knife that is suitably attached at. its ends to the frame members 14. The shaft of the eccentric roller and the knife 18 are adapted to be carried by a swinging frame (not sh0wn),movable toward and from the fixed frame members 14, as shown in my Said fixed and movable frame members'are adapted to be vibrated toward and from each other in the manner of jaws to bring the knives into cutting relation, as for instance, by means of an eccentric pinion carried by the shaft 12, which is adapted to mesh with a pinion carried by the shaft 13, one of which pinions is designated as 20 in Fig. 2.- Located below said knives l7 and 18 are rollers 22, 23, the shafts 24;, 25 of which are mounted in suitable be'arin s in the lower parts 26 of the frame members 14. Said rollers deliver the sections or Wrappers cut from the continuous strip a by the knives 17, 18 downwardly into a wrapper recess 27 (when the mechanism is embodied in a wrapping main linel avitha suitable way, or guide 28 through which the articles to be wrapped suitable plunger (not herein shown). The gum or other article thus forced against the wrapper insaid recess 27 carries the wrapper into the slot 29 of the wrapping mechanism to effect the first fold of the wrapper about the gum or other article, as set forth in my aforesaid co-pending application. ()ue -roll 35 that is supported on a for thus holding roller of each pair of upper and lower rollcrs is adapted to be driven from a vertical shaft 30, located at one side of themcchanism, through the medium of beveled pin ions 31, 32 on the drive shaft which mesh with other beveled pinions 33, 34.- on upper and lower roller shafts l3 and 24.

The operation of the feeding and cutting mechanism, so far as above described, is substantially the same as that of theconstruction set forth in my aforesaid co-pending application and need not be herein further referred to. It will be understood, however, that the essential features of my invention herein disclosed may be applied to other forms of feeding. and'cutting mechanisms,

arranged to intermittently feed the strip to the cutting means by which to cut the advance end-of the strip to produce sections or wrappers of a predetermined length.

Referring now to the features'of construction constituting the present invention, the same is made as follows: The strip a of paper is guided downwardly from an upper suitable reel (not shown) that-may be mounted on the upper ends of the frame members 14. The said strip is guided from the roll 35 between presser plates 38, 39 oneof which is yieldingly pressed against the other, and arranged toafford a light frictional resistance to the passage of the paper between them to the strip feed rollers from the upper reel from whichthe strip is unwound. The plate 38 is shown as stationary and is fixed to the stationary side members 14 of the frame in any suitable manner. The plate 39, which fits for a portion of its length against the plate 38, is held against the plate 38 by spring pressure. The means herein shown the plates yieldingly together consists of screws 41, 41 which extend loosely through the plate 39, near the side margins thereof, into the plate 38, and between the heads of said screws and the plate 39 are interposed spiral, expansively acting springs 42 which act to yieldinglypress the plates together. I Said springs are made light and afford a slight frictional retardation of the passage of the paper strip be-. tween the lates for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The upper end 43 'of the spring pressed plate 39 is bent outwardly away from the plate 38 to afford means for supporting any slack in the strip that may occur between this point and the upper roll 35 from which the strip is unwound.

Extending rearwardly from the frame members 14, 14 are two arms 45-, 45, in the outer upturned ends 46 of which is mounted a rock shaft 47. Extending downwardly from said rock shaft is an arm &8, to-the lower end of which is loosely or'pivotally connected the rear end ofa link 50 thatjs provided at its forward end with a strap 51 which engages an eccentric 52 that is mounted on the shaft 13 of the strip teed roller 10. Extending inwardly from the rock shaft 47 is a second arm 55, the inner end of which 5 arm extends to an opening 56 in the springpressed plate 39. Carried by the inner end of said arm. adjacent to said spring-pressed plate, is a pivoted locating or jogging finger 58, the lower end of which extends down- 1 Wardly'and forwardly from the arm 55 and into the opening .36 'ot' the springpressed plate. As herein shown said arm 55 is forked at its inner end and the jogging or locating finger 58 is mounted between the 1 fork members on a pivot pin 59 which extehds between said arms. The upper end of said finger extends upwardly and rearwardly from its point of pivot and carries weight 60 which acts, through the lever 0 action of the finger, to exert a pressure of the lower end. of said linger against the strip between said pressure plates. A spring pressure device would he the equivalent of the weight and in some instances be used.

95 Thelower end of said locating or jogging 'linger is provided with a V-shapcd recess at), thereby forming said lower endot the I finger with two separated points (it. 62. the

enter one 61 cit which adapted to extend into the slits a of the striy a to. advance said'vstrip. as wili hereinatter more fully appear." The inner t'ace of the stationary presser plate 38 isbl'ormed, opposite to the openii'ig- 5G in the. spring-pressed plate with olearance recess 53 which permits the finger point 1 to pass freely into the slit a of the strip a.

Located between the pres. r plates and the roll of paper is an intermitte t feed de- 40 vice which acts to withdraw the ;;trip from the roll during the non-feeding movement 0'! the teed rollers 10 and 11 in a manner to produce a looseness or slack a in theistrip just abovethe presser plates, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the only resistance required to move or the strip by the finger 58 is that. due to the frictional retardation thereof between the plates. If the engagement of the jogging or locating finger with the slitted 5O portion of the strip be depended ripen to unwind the strip from the roll 3:"), the force required to turn the roll might be suflicient to tear the strip. The means for unwinding the strip from the roll consists of a rotating segment having a friction face 66 that co operates with an idler roller 67 between which and the segment the strip is fed. The shaft 68 of said segment is'provided with a beveled pinion 69 which meshes with a nine 50 ion 70 on the upper endor the drive shaft 30 whereby said segment is rota-ted.

In the operation of the mechanism described. the locating or jogging finger moves upwardly and downwardly against the face of the strip atthe opening in the movablepresser plate 30 by reason of the connection of its carrying arm 55 with the cam actuated linlc 50. The said linger presses lightly against the strip and its range of movement along the strip is short. It the teed move 70 mentof the strip between the rollers is such as to accurately bring the proper points of the strip into cutting alineuienl with the knives-1. the locating finger will move up \vardly and downwardly on the strip without any eli'ectto ad ance the strip. It however the strip should ding behind its proper feeding position, the point (31 of the locating finger will engage into one of the slits u otthe strip when the linger moving down- 50 wardly and act to positively carry the strip a sutlicient distance. downwardly to properly register the stri plwith the cutting knives; the engagement of the locating linger with the slitted portion of the strip occurring at 5 the time when the strip is not gripped by the feed rollcrstand therefore tree to be carried down ardly between the rollers and relatively thereto.

in the form of feeding mechanism as hercin shown, thc strip is released from feeding engagement with the feeding rollers at the time when the clearance recess 11' of the roller 11 is on the side of the rollershat't adjacent to the companion roller 10, as fully set forth in my aforesaid (ac-pending application. its herein shown the locating finger is so arranged that, when occupying the lower llllllfitlf its movement,- it is located a distance from the cuttingltnives equal to the length of a rapper or section to be cut from. the strip, and the gripping fat-ell of the roller ll of. such length that duringthe intermittent teed oil the wrapper between". the rollers. which occurs whenthe gripping lo5 face 11 of the roller ll eoacts with the roller 10 the slitted portion oi the strip previously engaged by the locating finger will be brought into cutting alinemeut with the knife. It is not essential that the slitsn". ct the strip av shall be located at the liueso't" severance in order that such reg stration ot} the severancedincs with the cutting knives be effected, as said slits may be either above or below said lines o'l severance, and th locating finger arranged correspondingly above or below the position illustrated in the drawings. he location of the slits at -the lines of severance is preferable. however, inasinuch as the slits are lost when the wrap- 1 0 pers are severed from the strips. ()therwiSe said slits would appear in the severed wrapers:

The strip a is frictionally held or retarded between the presser plates-38 and. 39 by such light pressure that there will be no tendency to tear the strips at the slits a when the locating fingerengages the same. At the same time the pressure is sufficient to avoid the. strip passing too freely toward the knives adapted to engage into theslits of t simultaneously with an outer printed wrapfeeding 'means'for registering the strip relati vely to the cutting means.

r provided with a ogging device for registering the strip relatively to the cutting means r pose of registering the strip with respect to the combination with cutting means and inwhen not engaged by the gripping face of the roller 11 and when the cutting knives are brought into operation. The pressure brought to bear on the strip above the jog ging or locating fi iger has the effect of keeping the part of the strip which is acted on by the locating finger always under tension so as to insure prompt and ready engagement of-thefinger with the slits in the strip when brought into line therewith and avoids a slackness in the strip such as would make such engagement'of the finger uncertain.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of jogging or locating device, it consisting of a roller element 7 5 provided-0n itscircumference with one or more teeth or s urs 76 ie strip. When two teeth or spurs 76 are provided, the roller will be geared to rotate once during eachtwo rotations ofthe feed rollers.

It will be understoodthat the mechanism shown may be employed forsimultaneously cutting two wrappers from two strips fed downwardly through the guide between the Presser plates as, for instance, where an iiin'er, wax paper, wrapper is to be dclivercd per, in both of which the article is to be wrapped. In this arrangement there is no necessity forjogging or locating the unprinted strip so that it will not be slitted, but will be fed as it may.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. .A strip feeding and cutting mechanism independently of the feeding means.

2. A strip'fceding and cutting mechanism arranged to intermittently feed the strip to: the cutting means, and intermittentlv acting I movement of the strip under theaction of the feeding means, for further advancing the strip to register thestrip relatively to the cutting means.

' (3. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feedingmeans arranged to alternately advance the strip to the cutting means and, release the strip, and registering means acting on the strip when released from the feeding means adapted to advance the strip relatively to the cutting means to register the same.

7. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from.

a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feeding means "arranged to alternately advance the strip to, the cutting means and to release the strip, and means for jogging the strip relatively to the cutting means when released from the feeding means for registering the same, and means for maintaining under tension the part of the strip engaged by'the jogging means.

8. Means for cutting wrappers froin a previously printed strip comprising cutting means, means for intermittently advancing the strip to the cutting means and jogging means provided with a projection adapted to engage slits in the strip to advance the strip relatively to the cutting means.

9. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting 11l6Hl1S, -lil9tll15 for intermittently advancing the strip to the cutting means, means for tensioning the strip, a jogging device having a projection arranged to enter slits in thetensioned part of the strip to advance the strip toward the cutting means independently of the feeding means and' means for feeding the strip from a roll arm'eans adapted-to act on the'strip after the ranged to slack the strip above its tenadvance movement thereof in a manner to advance the strip to the cutting means independently of the feeding means for the purthe cutting means.

3. In a machine for the purpose set forth,

termittently acting feeding means, of a jogging device acting on the strip in rear of the 4-. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination.with cutting means and intermittently acting feeding meansf'of a 0gthe part oft members;

sioned part.

10. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprisin cutting means, means for intermittently at vancin the strip to the cutting means, presser and registering or jogging means acting on l1. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprisin cutting means, means for intermittently a vane.- ing the strip to the cutting-means, resser.-

mcinbers between which the strip is adging device acting on the strip for register? .vanced, and a movable jogging device ads ising the strip to the cutting means,- and means for maintaining under tension the part of the strip acted upon by the joggingevice.

5. In a machine for the purpose set; forth, the-combination with cutting means and intermittently acting feeding means, of a jogging device having a projection arran ed to enter slits in the strip, after the a; vanceed to enter slits in the part of the strip e strip between thepresser members between which the strip is advanced tween said presser members for a'dvancing f the strip relatively to the feeding means;

12. Mechanism for cutting wgappers from a previously printed strip, 'comprism cut: ting means, feed-rollers between whic the strip is intermittently advanced .to the cutting means, and .a movable j0gging device 4 provided wi th a projection adapted to bear 1 89 erases against the strip and to enter slits in the stript'or advancing it, relatively to the feed rollers, toward the cutting means.

l3. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed. strip, comprising cutting means, feed rollers between which the strip is intermittently advanced to the cutt ng means, a movable jogging'device provioed with a pro ection adapted to bear. against the strip and to enter slits in the strip for advancing it, relatively to the feed rollers, toward the cutting means, and an eccentric rotating with one of the feed rollers' for actuating said jogging device.

ll. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printedstrip, comprising-cutting means, feeding means'for intermittently advancing the wrapper to the cutting means, means fortensioning the strip, a movable jogging device acting with a light pressure against the tensioned part of the strip and provided with a projection adapted to en gage slitsjn the strip to advance the strip relatively to the feeding means.

15; Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feeding means for intermittently advancing the wrapper to the cutting means,

means for tensioning the strip, a movable jogging device acting with alight pressure against the tensioned partof the strip and provided with a .pIOlECtlOIl adapted to enter slits in the strip to advance thestrip relatively to the feeding means,.a retiring arm to which said jogging device is pivoted and means actuated by the feeding means for rocking arm.-. v

16. Mechanism for cutting Wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feeding means for intermit tently advancing the strip to the cutting means, presser plates between which the strip is guided to the feeding means, arranged to-maintain the part of the strip between the plates under tcnsion onc ct said .presser plates being provided with an opeuingand' the other plate being provided opposite to said opening with a rct and a finger movable along the race of the strip and provided with a n'ojection adapted to' enter said opening for engagement with slits in the strip.

17. Mechanism for cutting wrapptirs from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, teediiig means for intermittently advancing the strip to the cutting means, means for tensi'oning the'part of the strip in rear ot-the t'etaling'means, a jogging ,deviceimovable along the tcn sioned portion of the strip and adapted to engage slits. the-rein to advance the strip toward the cuttingmeans relatively to the feeding meansfand means for unwinding the strip from a roll arranged tdform a slack in the strip between the tension means and the roll.

18. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feeding means for intermit-- tently advancing the strip to the cutting means, means for tensioning the part of the 7:? strip in rear of the feeding means, a ging device mo 'able along the tensioned portion oi the strip and adapted to engage slits therein to advance the strip toward the cutting means relatively to the feeding means, and aniintermittently acting device in rear of'the tensioning mean for unwinding the strip from a roll, the nrolling device acting during the non-feeding period of the feeding means.

19. Mechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cut ting means, feed rollers between which the .strip is interniittentlv advanced to the cutting means, presser plates in rear of the feed rollers between which the strip is advanced and by which the strip is tensioned,, a jogging device acting against the tensioned portion of the strip for atlvancing the strip during the non-feeding movement of the feed rollers and means acting during the operation of the jogging device to produce a slack in the strip 'in rear of the ynesser plates.

5-30. h'lechanism for cutting wrappers from a previously printed strip, comprising cutting means, feed rollers between which the strip is intermittently advanced to the cutting means, presser plates in rear of the feed rollers between which the strip is advanced and by which the strip is tension'ed, a jogging device actingagainst the teiu sinned portion of the strip for advancing the strip during the non-feeding movement of the feed rollers and means acting during 195 the operation of the jogging device to produce a slack in thestrip in rear of the prcssei' plates, one of the presser plates being provided with a shell to support the slack portion of the strip.

21. In a strip feeding and cutting mechanism, means for feeding the strip from a roll, operating during a part of the feeding period to quickly draw the strip from the roll faster than it is received by the cutting mechanism and during another portion of said feeding period to release the strip to permitthc strip to slack. i

"22. in a strip feedi-i'ig and cutting mechanism, feeding means engaging the. end of 129 the strip ,to advance the same and means between said feeding'nuams and the roll from which the strip is unwound lor uccel crating the unrolling ot' the strip from the roll beyond the speed at which it is received it by the cutting. nechanism to' thereby slack the strip.- i

23'. In a strip feeding and cutting mecha nism, feeding means engaging the end of the stripto advance the same, and a segmenill) ' rolling of the strip of? speed at which it is received by the cuttin i tall feed roller intermediate the roll from which the strip is unwound and the main ieed ng means and engaging the strip. in a manner to intermittently accelerate the unthe 1-011 beyond the b mechanism.

In testimony, that'I claim the foregoing as my invention It affix my signature'in the I I I g I presence of two Witnesses, this 28th day of 10 September A.

HARRY IABRINGTON ARMSTRONG. 

